Sheet-feeding guide for expanding machines



July 3, 1928. 1,675,803

, H. F. HEwETsoN SHEET FEEDING GUIDE FOR' EXPANDING MACHINES Filed Sept.27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,675,803 H. F. HEwETsoN SHEET FEI-mms GUIDEFOR EXPANDING MAGHINES Filed sept. 27, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 July 3,1928.

Patented July 3, 1928. l

.UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

HAROLD FROST HEWETSON, F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, BY HESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO TBUSCON IICHIGAN.

STEEL COIPANY, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF BHEET-FEEDINGVGUIDEFOB EXPANDIN G MACHINES.

Application mea september 27,1924. serial 'no'. 740,312.

This invention relates to machines for maln'ng expanded metal, and moreparticu-I larly to the sheet feeding and uiding means for transferringthe slitted b ank from the slitting or cutting machine to the expandingmachine. y

In the manufacture of expanded metal lathing and the like, it iscustomary to use a long narrowblank of metal which is cut or slit toprovide rows of alternating slits throu hout the length'of the blank,and this .slittec blank is fed to the expanding chine. The manner inwhich the slitted blank is fed from the slitting device to the expandinmechanism is` of particular importance ecause the cutting and slittinginstrumentalities preferably operate on the sheet while it is in thehorizontal plane while the preferred expanding instrumentalities operateon the sheet while held in a vertical plane. Thus, during the transferof the slitted blank from the cutting machine to the expanding machine,it is necessary to rotate the same through an angl: of 90, and sincethis movement must accomplished quickly and A accurately to maintain thecapacity of the machines, it is necessary to provide eilicient means forproperly conveying the sheet from the 4slitting 30 station to theexpanding station continuously and without buckling or binding in theguidewa Accordingly, the present invention has particularly 1n view anovel sheet feeding guide which allows the sheet to turn freely as itsli s forward over a guiding surface which gives the sheet the requiredfreedom of turnin withoutprod'ucing internal stresses. In ot er words,the invention provides a means which will permit the slittedblank toreadily twistor warp in its movement but on the other hand ,will alwayshave sucient freedom to revent bucklmg.

A further object o the invention is to provide a guideway which willcompel the sheet to turn or rotate about a longitudlnal axis whichtherefore becomes the center of rotation. During this turning orrotating which will more readily appear as the nature of the inyentionis better understood, l,the same conslsts in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,illustrated and claimed.-

A preferred and practical-embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:-

Flgure l is a diagrammatic top plan view illustrating the application ofthe invention. F1gure 2 is a iagrammatic side elevation of the partsshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illus-o trating the progress of theslitted blankthrough the guide and associated machines.

Figure 4 1s a diagrammaticf'view illustrating the manner in which atransverse element of the sheet is turned or rotated' transversely inmoving from a horizontal to a vertical plane. y

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the guide constltuting the resentinvention.

Figure 6 is a iagrammatic side elevation of the improved gu1de.`

Figure 7 is an elevation of the discharge so end of the ideway.

Figure 8 1s a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 6.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings. y

The 4present invention possesses special utility as a component part ofa sheet metal expanding machine, particularly when combined andcoordinated with a rotary cutter functioning as the slitting device ofthe machine and also as a propelling means to direct and feed theslitted sheet toward the expanding mechanism.` The general relation ofthat combination is shownin Figs.

"1 and 2 of thedrawings wherein the rotary cutter is designatedgenerally by the refer- .ence letter C andcomprises the upper and lowercutting rolls (l1 -and C, and the expanding mechanism designatedgenerally by wo the reference letter E. o

The rotary cutter and the expanding mechanism are arran ed at a distanceapart, and between these evices is arranged the present novel sheetfeeding guide which Cooperates therewith, the receiving end of the guidebeing disposed in proximal relation to the delivery side of the cutter Cand the vancin Ypropelled through with the necessary delivering orfeeding end of the guide being arranged in proximal relation to thereceiving end of the expanding'mechanism. The expanding mechanism may beof any suitable type, but preferably is ofV the type employingthe'shouldered dies e and stepped deflector disks d having the relationand function disclosed in the patent of Joseph A Halls No. 1,505,388,dated August 19, 1924.

A primary function of the sheet feeding guide G arranged in the relationdescribed is to evenly, progressively and rapidly transfer the slittedblanks from the hori- Zontal plane of the slitting device or cutter C tothe vertical receiving-guideway of the expanding mechanism. In practicethe elongated metalblank is operated upon by the cutting rolls C1 and C2to thereby produce` an elongated -slitted blank B which after passingthrough the strippers S is fed into t e guide G .rwhere it isautomatically freethe dom to prevent buckling. Preferab frontend of thefollowing sheet is over` lapped with the rear end of the leading sheetand the same are thus automatically propelled or fed through theguideway by the feeding action of the cutting rolls until they reach thezone of the expanding machine which is also provided with feeding oradrollers. As s own in Figures 1 and 2, the blank is sltted by thecutting rolls C1 and C2 in a horizontal plane andis then assed into thereceiving end G1 of the gui e G. As will be observed from Figures 5 and6 the said guide G preferably comprises a turning plate 1 whicli'ishorizontally disposed at the receiving end G1, and is supported by abase' 2 which extends throughout Vthe length of -thedevice andcooperates with a. vertical wall 3 lying op ite the turning plate 1,thereby proviiisg a continuous trough or groove 4 which guides the loweredge of the metal blank and to a certain extent holds the same while theupper edge remains free to follow the 'surface of the turnin plate 1. v'

At t e receivin end G1 the said guide device G is provided with theupper and lower directing or guard lates 5 and 6 which overlie thehorizonte portion of the turning plate 1 as well as the prelimina artthereof to insure that the sheet 1s inltially directed into the groove 4adjacent the vertical wall 3. After the slitted blank has been given itspreliminary transversely warped and dished set by passing through theguard plates 5 and 6, the same willcontlnue along the turning plate 1 inthe manner indicated in Figures 3 and 4.

lVhen the sheet leaves the cutting and slitting rolls Cl and Cz it istaken into the receiving end G1 of the guide device G in the fiat planeindicated at K, in Fig. 4 and as it proceeds along the turning late 1 itsuccessively assumes the positions M, N, O, P, Q and R, the latter beingthe vertical planein which the sheet leaves the guideway and enters theexpanding machine.

AThe four edges of the sheet are in sub` stantially a warped planebetween the position K of Fig. 4 and the position R, but at thepositions K and R the sheet is shown as in a flat plane.v However,between the horizontal and vertical positions of the blank, the same iscurved or warped transversely as indicated at L, M, O, P and Q, thus thewhole blank is rotated while advancing from the horizontal plane K tothe vertical plane R due to the set and contour of the turning plate 1which compels the edge a: of the blank to follow the bottom edge of thewall 3 while the opposite edge y of the sheet rises gradually as 1tpasses along tlievcurved or twisted surface of the turnin plate 1. Theedge y of the sheet becomes re eased fromthe upper guiding plate 5 assoon as the end of the blank clears the same, and thus, except for thepreliminarytransverse #bending or warping iven the sheet as it passesthrough the guar plates 5 and 6, the said sheet is free to follow lthecurvature of the turning plate 1 during the rest of its travel in theguide. In that way injurious stresses and uckling are avoided in theblank, while at the same time the blank has been bent or warpedtransversely to a sullicient degree to loosen up the strands formed bythe slits in such a wa that the delecting rollers d of the expan ingmachine can more readily deflect and open up the strands into meshes by'Ipushing t e same against the dies e.

o assist in maintaining the sheet inthe groove or guideway 4 as it nearsthe discharging end of the guide device lG a suitable guard roller 7 maybe provided. This roller preferably has a grooved periphery, and itsspindle 1s adjusta 1y mounted in the brackets 8 carried by the wall 3and the turng Also it will be perceived that the inveny tionalsoinvolves'a novel method of preparing expanded metal sheets whichconsists first in feeding horizontally a blank metal strip to a slittingdevice producingV slits therein, then feeding the horizontal slittedsheet longitudinally forward and simultaneously progressively rotatingit from a horizon to a vertical position and finally causing the slittedblank to be moved from its vertical position-through an expandinmechanism and delivered in an expand condition substantially along ahorizontal plane.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of -the invent-ion will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in theform, proportion an'd minor details of construction may be resorted to,without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet feeding device forexpanding lmachines including a guidewayhaving a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially verticalportion and a guard roller arranged about said substantially verticalportion. .Y

2. Ay sheet feeding device for expanding machines including a guidewayhaving a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially verticalportion and a groovedslitted sheet -on a lon itudinal axis and a guardroller disposed a of said guideway.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

HAROLD FROST HEwETSoN;

ut the upright part

